Blog / Real Brides -
#CasablancaBride: Derien Pratt
This is a story of how a friendship blossomed into something more after many, many years. Having met in college at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, where the two lovebirds were drill instructors, they instantly connected and became close friends. After college they parted ways as their careers had taken them in different directions. They remained friends and wrote letters as often as possible. It was through these letters that their friendship grew into something more. Their story is truly a fascinating one. Read on to learn more.
Explain your love story to us, we want the details! Connor and I met in college at the United States Merchant Marine Academy when we were Drill Instructors together for the incoming freshman class. We immediately hit it off and though we didnΓÇÖt date all through college we remained friends. When we graduated college Connor went Active Duty Marine Corps and deployed twice to Afghanistan. I went Navy Reserve and sailed for the Navy on a ship for 2.5 years around the world. Through-out all of this we kept in touch ΓÇô almost daily his second deployment ΓÇô and when we returned we were able to catch up, fall in love, and its been a whirlwind of moving, new jobs, and the wedding ever since! Thankfully we were able to email daily during his deployments and that drew us closer than we ever thought possible. The emotions felt when he deployed the 2nd time were indescribable but the feeling of seeing him that first time after deployment and running into his arms was the best thing either of us have either felt.
Tell us about how you found your perfect wedding dress. I chose Casablanca Bridal Style 1975 because I wanted a lace classic gown with something unique to it. This dress has the low V back and beautiful train which made it unique and one-of-a-kind! I loved how the tiny straps kept it up without really showing and the 3 layers of lace and material with beading was super feminine. I added buttons down the back and that really set it off. The beading itself on top of the lace was delicate and it came pre-measured for length so that the bottom of the dressΓÇÖ lace was perfect. I loved the fit and flare at the bottom and the train was just long enough to drag behind for my beach wedding. It moved great and wasnΓÇÖt too heavy which made it an awesome dancing dress too! It was easy to pin up the train for the reception and looked stunning in all our photos!
What was the most memorable part of your wedding day? My favorite wedding day memory was our first look. After 7 years of knowing Connor I had never had the nervous and excited feeling in my stomach as I did walking down the stairs and seeing him see me for the first time. He didnΓÇÖt even talk at first and we both just smiled. He told me I looked beautiful, my dress was perfect, and this day was amazing.
What advice can you offer to future brides? My advice? Stay calm, let the little things roll off your back ΓÇô because the wedding will never go perfect even with impeccable planning. Just try to enjoy each minute of the day because it goes by SO fast.
The Wedding Day Details
Photographer:Desiree Gardner Photography Location: : Newport Beachside Resort, Miami FL. Ceremony was held on the beach. Dress: Casablanca Bridal, Style 1975 Season: Spring
